Our country's obsession — murder trials

July 8, 2013 - Steve Murch

What is it about the George Zimmerman trial that has captured America? What aspect of it has everyone talking about it and paying attention to it? And before you say it's just the 24-hour cable news channels trying to fill air time, think again.

If they are just trying to fill air time then why is it people question me why we aren't putting in every day's testimony? And some actually have complained that we don't put it on the front page every day. If it's “just filling air time” then they are probably on to something because people are obsessed with this stuff.

This isn't the first death that has centered around race, nor is it the gun control debate — which hasn't really been discussed much at all. This isn't the first trial involving Stand Your Ground either, nor the first alleged vigilante murder. So what is it that makes this case interesting?

I would argue that it's our country's obsession with murder. Casey Anthony, Jodi Arias, George Zimmerman — none of them was famous nor highly successful before being tried for murder, yet the public can't seem to get enough of them. In the case of Zimmerman it's even more unusual because crimes against blacks aren't nearly as reported. Trayvon Martin's parents probably are to be credited partially with that, but Stand Your Ground probably was the force that drove it home early on.

And once the trial is over will there be a TV movie? There were movies about Casey Anthony and Jodi Arias, so if there is one will it be about Zimmerman or Martin? Or both leading up to the encounter?

Our obsession with these guarantees there will be a movie, mark my words. The winners write history, but Hollywood writes the bio-pics.